In Japanese professional baseball, the first player that comes to mind when it comes to fastball is definitely Roki Sasaki (21. Chiba Lotte).
Sasaki stood shoulder to shoulder with Otani Shohei (LA Angels), who is said to have reached the realm of the gods by shooting 165 km, the highest speed among Japanese players this season.
Although the speed of a fastball does not explain all the power of a fastball, it is clear that a fastball over 160km has special power.
However, in Japanese professional baseball, there is a pitcher who throws a more powerful fastball than Sasaki.
Katsuki Azuma (27) of the Yokohama DeNA Baystars is the main character.
Azuma, who wore the Yokohama uniform with the 1st pick in the 2017 draft, is showing his best performance this season with his skills in full bloom.
In particular, the power of the fastball is doubling.
His fastball batting average is only 0.140. He has a lower fastball batting average than Sasaki, who has a 0.171.
The speed is almost 10 km more than Sasaki’s. Last year, Azuma’s average fastball velocity was 142.9 km. His highest speed since his pro debut was 152 km.
Being left-handed, it can be said that it can be a bit more of a plus factor for speed, but it is clear that it is not at Sasaki’s level.
However, he is boldly controlling the ball and getting good results.
The fastball use rate is not small at 48%, and the cut fastball, which is the same fastball family, accounts for a large portion at 17%. 먹튀검증
Although he is not as fast as Sasaki, it can be said that he has been upgraded to a pitcher who can overwhelm batters with just a fastball thanks to the movement and rotational power of the ball tip.
As you can see from his fastball batting average, Azuma’s fastball has a special advantage.
Sasaki’s fastball is the focus of many people’s eyes, but there are also pitchers who are doing their part with slower balls. In particular, I am just envious of the thick layer of players that there are pitchers who are showing strength in the fastball.
